Self-propelled devices that serve as urban or industrial aspirators have existed for several decades.
They are essentially used by sanitation agents to clean urban, industrial and/or recreational sites. Major improvements have been made to this type of device.
In particular, thermal motors have been replaced by electric motors that may or may not be associated with batteries, which are quieter and also make it possible to separate the pulling functions from the suction functions. These devices have an autonomy ranging from several hours to several days.
Currently, this type of device is equipped with a suction hose or suction nozzle that is manipulated by the sanitation agent and the distal end of which comes into contact with the zones to be cleaned or suctioned and in particular the ground, which allows direct aspiration of waste so that it can be brought to a suitable container placed on the (self-)propelled device.
The useful aspiration must be relatively high to be able to be capable of suctioning all types of waste, including large waste (high volume and/or weight). As an example, the aspiration may reach a pressure corresponding to a value of 500 mm of water column for an air flow rate of 2700 m3 per hour and with a speed of the air in the nozzle that may reach 36 meters per second.
The nozzles must be wide enough and have a minimum diameter of 60 km, but in some cases may also reach values greater than 160 mm.
The suction nozzles can be made in the simplest versions using a PVC tube, or in the new, more sophisticated versions with a carbon tube having a maximum thickness of approximately 0.8 mm to 1.5 mm. Providing a carbon tube therefore makes it possible to lighten the weight of the nozzle while maintaining the appropriate strength characteristics of the nozzle.
However, it has been observed that the manipulation by a sanitation agent is typically done using one arm, which requires a certain amount of dexterity and, over time, will create fatigue, discomfort, and in some cases even pain that may cause the sanitation agent to stop working temporarily. Furthermore, it should be noted that such machines are used over relatively long periods of time that may reach several hours.
Thus, it has been observed that pain may appear primarily in the shoulder, elbow and wrist during long-term use.
It has already been proposed to adapt the handle for maintaining said nozzle and to present it in the form of a “crutch” handle provided with an armrest that can be adjustable in all three rotation axes, thus allowing manipulation of the nozzle, according to the anchoring point, directly on the nozzle or depending on the height of the armrest of the crutch handle.
Lastly, it is also possible to consider adapting the various gripping means as a function of the morphology of the sanitation agent. However, during movement or during the working suction phase, the nozzle is currently positioned such that the arm and the shoulder are in the pulling position. Yet this pulling position is an unnatural tension position that should be avoided as much as possible. Furthermore, this tension position can generate a “break” in the position of the wrist (wrist bent and not positioned in the extension of the forearm). Lastly, it has been observed, even when the gripping means are adapted to the morphology of the user, that there is an offset of the load application axis. In summary, one can say that this position becomes uncomfortable or even painful, in particular for long working periods.
It has also been noted that the contact between the distal end of the nozzle and the ground, or the walls to be suctioned, can generate a small impact that will have repercussions in the wrist, forearm, elbow and shoulder. Over time, this can also lead to a certain bother for the user (i.e., the sanitation agent) during relatively long assignments.
It has been proposed to reduce the effects of this impact during contact between the nozzle and the ground by modifying and adapting the distal end of the nozzle, for example by proposing the placement of a shoe formatted and made from a material having a damping function, such as rubber or an elastic plastic. This shoe is also intended to reduce the wear of the distal end of the nozzle, in particular during repeated contact between the distal end of the suction nozzle and the ground, or the wall to be suctioned.
Nevertheless, because the presence of such a shoe allows complete contact between the section of the nozzle and the ground or wall to be suctioned, the vacuums are relatively high, which requires a significant effort from the sanitation agent to move or lift said nozzle. Furthermore, this effort is typically exerted using a single upper limb (user's arm).
Lastly, it has been observed that the hose that connects the suction nozzle to the urban or industrial aspirator is essentially positioned in the upper part of the chassis of the urban or industrial aspirator, which will also create a load directly passed on to the user's arm.
The present invention aims to propose a solution that makes it possible to resolve these various problems by adapting the general structure of the urban or industrial aspirator, and more particularly the gripping means of the suction nozzle.